Overview

• Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of association de malfaiteurs in the 2007 Libyan funding case, acquitted of corruption and illegal campaign financing, and given five years with a mandat de dépôt à effet différé under exécution provisoire.
• The judgment says he let close allies Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux solicit Libyan authorities for support, calling the conduct exceptionally serious and harmful to public trust even without proof funds reached the campaign.
• The Parquet national financier will set his incarceration date at the 13 October summons, with custody to begin within four months; the appeal is not suspensive and the court of appeal can later rule on a release request or electronic monitoring.
• Co-defendants were also sentenced, including six years for Claude Guéant (also for passive corruption and forgery) and two years for Brice Hortefeux, while former campaign treasurer Éric Woerth was acquitted.
• The ruling ignited a political and legal dispute over exécution provisoire, with Marine Le Pen warning it undermines the presumption of innocence, as international media highlighted the first time a Fifth Republic ex-president will go to prison.